LI 271--American Literature II

                               

Dr. Harvey Hecht                                    Grauel 314       X2500            hhecht@semo.edu             

Office Hours: M, W, F:  10:00-10:30; 1:00-3:00; T & Th: 9:00-11:00 and by appointment.

Text:  The Norton Anthology of American Literature, Sixth Edition, Volumes C, D, & E

 

In this class you will be expected to develop &/or increase and demonstrate:

                A. Your knowledge of American culture & literature since 1880;

B. Your ability to read and appreciate good literature, understanding that good literature makes significant statements about the  human conditions and understanding the interrelation of theme and form (the "what it means" and the “how it means");  and

                C. Your ability to write critically about literature with insight and clarity.

 

You are required to attend class and are expected to keep up with the reading on the syllabus. Even if we get behind, keep up with the syllabus: any pop test will cover the assignment for the day. The list of assignments, the test dates, paper dates, and any other requirements may be changed at any time; it is your responsibility to be aware of any changes which will be announced in class.

 

Your grade will be determined in the following fashion:

                A. Class Participation          50 pts                     E.  Pop Tests**                    10 each*
                B. Paper One*                       50                            F.  Journals***                     50
                C. Paper Two*                    100                            G. 3 Hour Exams                  100 each

                D. Paper Three*                 100           

 

*You will be given guidelines for each paper.

 **Pop tests are not made up; if you have a legitimate absence, a missed test will be x-ed (not count against you).  At the end of the semester the low pop test will be dropped.
***The journal will be uploaded to Drop Box.  One "page" (a full screen in your word processing program), a week, starting the second week of classes. Entries will discuss and/or react to any reading or discussion from the class. The journals must be filed between 12:01 a.m. Sunday and 11:59 p.m.   Save all the journals you send so you have records in case of any discrepancies.  

I will occasionally send messages to the class; those messages will be sent to your SEMO e-mail address and it will be your responsibility to keep up with those messages.

 

UNIVERSITY, DEPARTMENT, AND CLASS P0LICIES AND DEADLINES

 

ACADEMIC HONESTY:    The official statement about academic honesty, including plagiarism, may be accessed at: http://www.semo.edu/bulletin/pdf/2006Bulletin.pdf.  Understand that violation of these regulations may range from a zero grade for the assignment to a failing grade for the course.

 

ATTENDANCE:    University policy states, “Students are expected to attend all classes and to complete all assignments. If an absence is associated with a university-sanctioned activity, the instructor will provide an opportunity for assignment make-up. However, it is the instructor’s decision to provide, or not to provide, make-up work related to absences for any other reason.” (The statement is derived from the Undergraduate Bulletin and may be accessed at: http://www.semo.edu/bulletin/pdf/2006Bulletin.pdf).  Pop tests will not be made up; if you have a valid absence, the test will be x-ed (not count in your average).  Your low pop test score will be dropped.

 

CELL PHONES ETC:  Students will turn off all cell phones and any other communication devices that would interrupt the class and keep distracting devices such as iPods, Palm Pilots, Blackberries and the like stored out of sight.

 

CIVILITY:  Students will adhere to University Policy on civility (See University Bulletin & Student Code of Conduct), will respect other class members & not intrude upon their right to an atmosphere conducive to learning.

 

Disabilities:   If you are physically or learning disabled or challenged, please let me know of your special needs. All those requiring special accommodations should obtain official information about disabilities from Learning Assistance and Disability Support Services, located at: http://www.semo.edu/cs/services/lec.htm

 

IMPORTANT DATES:  March 7-16:  Midterm grades will be available; April 8--last day to drop a full semester class; April 23--last day to withdraw form the University without failing grades.

The Professor reserves the option to dismiss students from class for behavior that interferes with the students’ or the professor’s work in class.

 

 

 

On all assignments, read the introductory material about the author.

 

January  21            Introduction and Background.         

                23            Volume C:  "Introduction,” p. 3; Sarah Orne Jewett, “A White Heron,” p. 597  .

               

26            William Dean Howells, "Editha”  (Click here to download)

                28            Mark Twain, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, p. 219

30                            ... Huckleberry Finn

 

February  2                           ... Huckleberry Finn.

                  4           Booker T. Washington, Up From Slavery, p. 744-68

                  6           Hamlin Garland, “Under the Lion’s Paw,” p. 814; W.E.B. DuBois, “Of Mr. Booker T.

                                 Washington,” p. 884 .       

               

                  9           C. W. Chestnutt, "The Goophered Grapevine," p. 782.

                 11           Mary E. Wilkins Freeman, “The Revolt of ‘Mother,’” p. 733.

                 13           Charlotte Perkins Gilman, "The Yellow Wallpaper," p. 832
 

                 16           Paper One.  Kate Chopin, “The Storm,” p. 629.              .                              

                 18           Stephen Crane, "The Open Boat," p. 903.       

                 20           Volume D:   Introduction, p. 1071; E. A. Robinson, p. 1104 and “How Annandale

                                Went Out” (Click here to download)

               

                 23           FIRST EXAMINATION
                 25           Jack London, “To Build a Fire,” p. 977.

                 27           Carl Sandburg, p. 1229 and “The Harbor” (Click here to download); and

                                Robert Frost, “The Road Not Taken,” p. 1187

                 

 March      2           Robert Frost, pp. 1175-1189
                  4           Frost, pp. 1190-1202
                  6           Sherwood Anderson, “Mother,”  p. 1214 & Robinson Jeffers, p. 1320

               

                  9           T. S. Eliot, “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock,” p. 1420

                11           Ernest Hemingway, “The Killers”  (Click here to download)

                13           Marianne Moore, p. 1325

 

                23            Faulkner, “That Evening Sun”  (Click here to download)

                25            Paper Two--William Carlos Williams, pp. 1265-72; Edna St. Vincent Millay, p. 1609 and “Love is Not

                                 All” (Click here to download); Dorothy Parker, p. 1614               

                27            Zora Neale Hurston, “Eatonville Anthology,” p. 1507; “How It Feels to Be Colored Me,” p. 1516
 

                30            Countee Cullen, p. 1913; John Steinbeck, from Grapes of Wrath, p. 1901

 April        1            Langston Hughes, p. 1891 and others (Click here to download)

                  3            Richard Wright, “The Man Who Was Almost A Man,” p. 1927

 

                  6            SECOND EXAMINATION

  8            DROP DATE--Last date to drop the class; e e cummings, p. 1623 and others (Click here to download)

                 

13           Wallace Stevens,  pp. 1234-41

                15           Volume E:  Eudora Welty, “Petrified Man,” p. 1785

                17           Bernard Malamud, “The Magic Barrel,” p. 2051

 

                20           Tennessee Williams, A Streetcar Named Desire, p. 1976

                22                                                A Streetcar...

                23            LAST DAY   to withdraw from University without receiving failing grades

24           Ralph Ellison, from Invisible Man, “Prologue” and “Chapter I,” p. 2077

               

27           Flannery O’Connor, “Good Country People, “ p. 2020                 

                29           Paper Three; James Wright, p. 2921; Anne Sexton, p. 2933 
May         1           Grace Paley, “A Conversation With My Father,” p. 2177.

               
                  4           Raymond Carver, “Cathedral,” p. 2368.

                  6           Toni Morrison, “Recitatif,” p. 2252..

8           Donald Barthelme, “The School” (Click here to download) and Billie Collins, p. 3029 and

others (Click here to download)